Category: Blog

Home Loans 101: An Interview with Tony Dinh

Crystal Schip - RealtorLeave a comment

If you are planning to buy a home in most parts of the Bay Area, odds are you’ll need some type of mortgage.  In fact, for the majority of homebuyers, the mortgage is one of the most important and time-consuming pieces of the puzzle when buying a new home, if not THE most important.  Hence, it’s crucial to your success to do it right.

In today’s post, I summarize my talk with First Republic Bank Relationship Manager Tony Dinh about the home loan process and his best advice for new home buyers. Continue reading “Home Loans 101: An Interview with Tony Dinh” →

Before & After: The Magic of Paint

Crystal Schip - RealtorLeave a comment

There is absolutely nothing that can transform a room like a fresh coat of paint.

Take a look at these before and after photos of my recent listing at One Rincon Hill in San Francisco’s South Beach neighborhood, where we transformed this dark one-bedroom unit into a bright and fresh space that sold after just two weeks on the market: Continue reading “Before & After: The Magic of Paint” →

JUST SOLD – 425 1st Street #4305, SF

Crystal Schip - RealtorLeave a comment

Congratulations to our wonderful client on selling his home at One Rincon Hill! On days like today, I like to reflect on what I’ve learned over the past few weeks — each transaction teaches me something new, and there’s always more to learn.  The lessons here were many, including the fact that working with contractors will usually not go according to schedule, and will almost always cost more.  The KEY is staying on top of vendors, and negotiating skills, which served me well here. Continue reading “JUST SOLD – 425 1st Street #4305, SF” →

What’s an AVID?

Crystal Schip - RealtorLeave a comment

An AVID (Agent Visual Inspection Disclosure) is a report prepared by a real estate agent, documenting their observations from a visual inspection of a property.  This can be helpful for homebuyers to review before making the seller a purchase offer because it provides them with more information about the property before deciding on a price and terms. Continue reading “What’s an AVID?” →

4 Common Homebuying Mistakes

Crystal Schip - RealtorLeave a comment

There are many things that can go wrong when buying home.  And while I’ve always believed the best way to learn is through experience, most homeowners would probably prefer to avoid costly mistakes at the outset, without having to learn hard lessons firsthand.  Here are four common mistakes that immediately come to mind: Continue reading “4 Common Homebuying Mistakes” →